Princeton Battlefield named to endangered' list

Jerry Hurwitz, president of the Princeton Battlefield Society, point to an area on a preliminary map where he say the Institute for Advanced Study wants to build 15 faculty houses. Hurwitz is fighting to prevent construction on what he believes is important historic land. Existing Institute buildings can be seen in the shaded area to the right.
trentonian photo/Jackie Schear 11aug10

WASHINGTON — Princeton Battlefield, which preservationists say is facing imminent danger from a housing development that would change the landscape, was placed Wednesday on the list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

In addition, hundreds of historic U.S. post offices nationwide were added to the list; preservationists say the buildings face uncertain futures as the U.S. Postal Service downsizes.

Post offices will join as a group for the first time. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is citing the bureaucratic process for disposing of thousands of post offices, saying developers and community groups interested in rehabilitating the historic buildings end up walking away when they don’t get timely or clear answers from the Postal Service.

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The group also said New York’s Ellis Island hospital complex is threatened, even though it’s a popular historic destination, because the facility where thousands of immigrants received medical treatment upon their arrival has been left open to the elements.

In Princeton, a development proposal by the Institute for Advanced Study has been strongly opposed by battlefield advocates.

This is the 25th anniversary of the listing of endangered places. Over that time 242 historic sites have been added to the listing. Only 10 sites of those have been lost, while others are still endangered, officials said.

The nation’s post offices represent the largest number of sites that could be lost in towns and cities both large and small. Preservationists began getting calls more than a year ago about individual post offices, so they want to work with the Postal Service to help foster a process for adapting and reusing the historic buildings, said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

“This isn’t about taking on the post office,” she said. “Of course we don’t quibble with the post office having to do what they have to do to manage their business, but we do want to make sure there’s a thoughtful process in place for managing the historic resources.”

One developer in Geneva, Ill., walked away from negotiations with the Postal Service after months of work, citing a lack of clear answers from the agency.

The Postal Service on Wednesday said its plans have changed for many post offices since a study last summer. As of May 2012, the agency plans to consolidate about 460 mail processing centers in phases.

Of more than 31,500 post offices nationwide, only 55 are officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places, agency spokeswoman Sue Brennan said. If the Postal Service seeks to sell any historic property, Brennan said the agency follows State Historic Preservation Office guidelines to identify historic elements that must be saved.

Another large group of sites being added to the endangered list includes the courthouses of Texas, with support from former first lady Laura Bush. The state’s courthouses were first listed in 1998, but at least 70 of them still need critical repairs. Most are still in use.